the waves in the cavities of the hard freeſtone which forms the baſis of theſe hills.
We had ſcarcely proceeded a thouſand toiſes, when the remains of a hut and heaps of ſea-ſhells ſhewed us that this iſland was inhabited.
We ſaw here for the firſt time the partridge of the Cape of Van Diemen. We ſprung a very large covey of them, which lighted at a great diſtance from us,
Late in the evening we met Citizen Riche, who had paſſed the night with the fiſhermen. We gladly accepted his offer to ſhare the fruits of his fiſhery with us, and he ſhewed us a ſmall ſpring, where we had the pleaſure of refreſhing ourſelves with excellent water over a meal of very fine fiſh and muſcles, which we broiled upon the coals after the manner of the New Hollanders. After ſuch a repaſt we had little occaſion for the proviſions we had brought with us from the ſhip.
We were informed that the principal officers of the Recherche had agitated the queſtion among themſelves, whether the gentlemen engaged in reſearches of natural hiſtory had any right to the freſh proviſions diſtributed on board, whilſt they were employed upon ſhore in making the collections which the object of their appointment required. Care was taken that none of their number ſhould be admitted to theſe diſcuſ-
ſions;
